From radio DJ to publicist to talent booker, Mara Davis has done it all. In this conversation, she opens up about her career pivot after radio, her years booking Adult Swim’s FishCenter Live, and the behind-the-scenes hustle of working in publicity and booking today.
Mara shares candid stories about the changing media landscape, offers practical advice for anyone breaking into PR or booking, and brings a mixtape that celebrates powerful women in music.
More on IG: @maradavis2000 - https://www.instagram.com/maradavis2000/
The J-Card is presented by Rue Defense Tape Club, a quarterly, mail-order cassette compilation and DIY audio project. Hosted by Alexei Shishkin, each episode is part music discovery, part oral history, part hangout show. We ask artists, musicians, filmmakers, and other music-minded folks to build us their own personal mixtape and talk about the moments and memories that inspired it.
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⏱️ Chapters:
00:00 - Intro: Who is Mara Davis
03:00 - Pivoting from being a radio DJ
08:15 - Breaking into the talent-booking world
10:40 - Working at Adult Swim and FishCenter
20:17 - How to book talent
26:01 - Tips for breaking into PR or booking
30:08 - The Mixtape Begins: Pop music and women in radio
31:40 - “The Long Way Around” by The Chicks
34:24 - “Closer to Fine” by Indigo Girls
37:06 - “The Man” by Taylor Swift
41:16 - “How Bad Do U Want Me” by Lady Gaga
44:55 - “Like a Prayer” by Madonna
48:18 - “Slow Burn” by Kacey Musgraves
51:56 - “I Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty
57:36 - Mixtape Wrap-up
58:47 - This or That?: Georgia Edition
1:06:34 - Random Billy Joel tangent
1:09:39 - Where to find Mara
1:11:36 - Final Thoughts/Outro
